Palmer spikers upset state champions

ANCHORAGE — Throughout the season, Palmer volleyball coach Steve Reynolds has told his athletes they have the ability to beat the top volleyball programs in the state.

And on Saturday, the Moose did.

Palmer topped South Anchorage, the two-time defending 4A state champions, 2-0 (25-23, 25-22) in the title match of the West Spiketacular at West Anchorage High School.

“A lot of coaches can say stuff, but it should be a more important lesson when they do it for themselves,” Reynolds said.

The Moose finished second in round-robin pool play on the first day of the tournament, and fought through a tough bracket on the following afternoon. Palmer knocked off four Anchorage programs — West, East, Dimond and South — en route to the tourney title.

Palmer placed three players on the all-tournament squads — seniors Sarah Svedin, Nicole Kenney and Geneva Ratcliff — but the ability of his team to work as a cohesive unit was the secret to the success, Reynolds said.

“We just had the team work thing going on Saturday,” Reynolds said. “We were executing things nicely, and the blockers were blocking better than we have all season.”

On paper, South was clearly marked as the favorite. But as Reynolds tells his players, “games are not played on paper.”

“They’ve got the bigger, taller blockers, and we tend to all be the same size on our team.”

The Moose currently stand in second place of the Northern Lights Conference North Division with a 5-2 mark, and Reynolds hope the tourney win is something that can add to Palmer’s momentum as it heads toward the final stretch of the season.

“These kinds of things tend to be a bit infectious,” Reynolds said. “I hope we’ll take and do something with it. Not to diminish the win, but it’s just a win in a tourney. But it’s a good motivational tool, good confidence booster.”

Colony (4-1 in the NLC) finished third in the tournament, beating Dimond 2-1 (21-25, 25-18, 15-13) in the third-place match.

West Spiketacular

All-Tournament

First Team

Hannah Curtis, Colony; Sarah Hibbert, South; Adriana Aukusitino, Service; Chauntel Tes, Dimond; Lauren Slaymaker, Grace Christian; Erin Ersland, South; Lauren Fulton, Dimond; Nicole Viotto, Eagle River; Sarah Boisen, South; McKenzie Moss, Bartlett; Maureen Sabado, Kodiak; Sarah Svedin, Palmer; Nicole Kenney, Palmer; Kristen Coan, Colony.

Second Team

Desi Diselrod, Colony; Taylor Adams, Dimond; Geneva Ratcliff, Palmer; Alex Wegner, Valdez; Ashlen Welch, Wasilla; Chloe Johnson, Lathrop; Erin Beardsley, Service; Frana Burtness-Adams, Lathrop; Katherine Pili, East; Mattie Kozloff, West; Jennifer Marshall, Eagle River; Kelsey Huerta, Eagle River; Margaret Dunn, East; Kaitlyn Hull, Lathrop.

Hawks compete in Peninsula Challenge

The Houston Hawks participated in the Peninsula Challenge volleyball tournament at Homer High School during the weekend.

Houston suffered a 2-0 (25-20, 25-16) loss to Kenai in the first round.

On the consolation side of the bracket, the Hawks were beaten by Skyview (2-0) and Barrow (2-0).

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.